Space-band cleaner



Dec. 25, T1923. 1,478,442 W. A. LORENZ ET AL SPACE BAND CLEANER Filed J n- 27, 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I In 77672 6021? Dec. 25, 1923. mmz

W. A. LORENZ ET AL SPACE BAND CLEANER I Filed Jan. 27. 19 3 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r I j Inventors Patented fies. 25, 1223.

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WILLIAIvI A. LORENZ AND PENROSE R. EZOOPES, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AS- SIG-NORS TO JAMES R. RABBETT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SPACE-BAND CLEANER.

Application filed January 27, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. LORENZ and Pnnnosn R. Hoorns, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State. of Connectiout, have invented a new and useful Improvement .in Space-Band Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The spacebands employed in linotype, intertype and similar type casting machines become more or less foul or coated with a film of metal during use and to ensure accurate work they require frequent cleaning. This invention relates to a machine which is designed to receive, automatically feed clean, polish and discharge in prime condition for use such spacebands.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and easily operated machine. for this purpose which will clean and polish spacebands very rapidly, accurately and uniformly.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a front elevation of a machine which embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a similar section showing the. parts in a differentrelation. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 55 on Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a front view of a spaceband. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the polishing block on line 7-7 on Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an end view of the polishing block.

Attached to the back of the upper part of the frame 10 are two parallel plates 11, the upper edges of which slope downward toward the frame and form a track. At the lower ends of the track plates are upwardly extending stops 12. The spacebands 13 in common use have transversely projecting lugs 14 at their upper ends and the bands to be cleaned are placed between the track plates with the lugs resting upon the in clined edges so that they will slide down toward the frame. The upper ends of the bands are temporarily arrested a slight distance from the back of the frame by the engagement of the lugs with the stops and the lower ends of the bands rest against the upper edge of a guide plate 15 that is fastened back of the frame a slight distance therefrom. A gate bar 16 extends across above the lower end of the track to pre- Serial llo. 615,247.

vent more than one band from being lifted from the track at a time.

A shaft 17 is supported by hearings in front of the. frame and on this shaft is a rotatable finger 18. This finger as it rotates passes through an opening in the frame and into an opening in the first spaceband and engages and lifts that band from the track so that the band lugs at the top clear the track stops and the lower end of the band clears the guide plate. As the finger continues to rotate it carries the band up against the back face of the frame and then the finger disengages itself and allows the band to drop between the back face of the frame and the guide plate 15. The finger shaft has a sprocket wheel 19 that is con- 7 nected by a chain 20 with a sprocket wheel 21 on a shaft 22 that has a worm wheel 23. The worm wheel is engaged by a worm 2% on the shaft 25 thathas the driving pulley 26.

As the spaceband drops from the rotary lifting finger it is caught by fingers 27 which project into the path of the band lugs from a rocking frame 28. The rocker is pivoted on a stud 29 and it carries a roll 30 that is held in contact with the periphery of the cam 31 by a spring 32. This cam is fastened to the shaft 22 on which are the worm wheel and one of the sprocket wheels. The

cam is shaped so as to allow therocker to swing forward and carry the fingers 27 into position to catch the dropping spacehand, Fig. 3, and after the band has been caught carry the fingers still further forward so that the band lugs will enter the notches 33 above the fingers, Fig. 4. A band thus held cannot move up or down. After the band has been polished the cam 31 causes the rocker to so swing as to withdraw the fingers from the band lugs and allow the band to drop onto the receiving track plate 34, down which they slide with their lower ends guided by the rod 35.

The rocker carries a plunger 36 that is pressed forward by a spring 37 through an opening in the guide plate 15. When the rocker is swung forward and is holding a spaceband the plunger engages and pushes the band forward with a yielding pressure.

The polishing block 38 is arranged to reciprocate up and down with its polishing and extending through an opening 39 in the frame and bearing against the spaceband that is supported by the fingersand is pressed forward by the plunger on are rocker. The polishing block may be a hollow cylinder of any. suitable material desirably of wood with perforations 40 at its polishing end. Polishing material, such as powdered graphite, may be put into the polishing block which can be provided with means, in the form of a grease cup d7, for feeding the polishing material toward the perforated end of the block. 7

The block is clamped in a slide 41 that is free to move up and down in guide ways 4-2 that are fastened to the front of the frame. A lever 43 is pivoted to the front of the frame with one end engaged with a stud 4A projecting from the polishing slide and the other end engaged by a crank pin d5 arranged at the end of the driving shaft 25. The rapid up and down movement given to the polishing block by this mechanism causes the polishing material to be sprinkled from and deposited over the end of the block so that the reciprocations of the block will polish the face of the spaceband held in polishing position. The mechanisms are so timed that after a sufiicient number of strokes having been given the block to polish the spacebands the rocker is swung back and the cleaned spaceband dropped onto the receiving track, and then a foul spaceband is dropped into the polishing position. If desired a box l6 for containing polishing ma terial may be mounted on the slide so as to travel up and down therewith. An outlet spout leads from the box to a point adjacent to the polishing endof the block so as to deposit polishing material upon the face of the spaceband.

The invention claimed is:

1. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding spacebands, means for interrupting the feedof the bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been subjected to a predetermined number of rubbings by the polishing block.

2. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding the spacebands by gravity, means for interrupting the feed of the bands, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while their feed is interrupted, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

3. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising an inclined track for feeding the spacebands, means for lifting the bands from the track and allowing them to drop, means for catching the dropped bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

4. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding spacebands, means for interupting the feed of the bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, yielding means for pressing the bands against the polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

5. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding I spacebands, a reciprocatory polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, oscillatory means for temporarily holding the bands against the polishing block and then releasing the bands and allowing them to drop.

6. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding spacebands, a polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and an oscillatory rocker carrying means for temporarily holding the bands against the polishing block and then allowing the bands to drop after they have been polished.

7 A spaceband cleaning machine comprising an inclined track for feeding the space.

bands, a rotatory finger for lifting the bands from the track and allowing them to. drop, means for catching the dropped bands and temporarily retaining them, an oscillatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

8. A spaceband cleaning machine comprisingan inclined track for feeding the spacebands, a rotatory finger for lifting the bands from the track and allowing them-to drop, oscillatory means for catching the dropped bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

9. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding spacebands, means for interrupting the feed of the bands and temporarily retainingthem, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands while retained, said feed interrupting means carrying yielding means for pressing the bands against the polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

10. A spaceband cleaning machine c0m prising means for feeding spacebands, oscillatory fingers for interrupting the feed of the bands and temporarily retaining them, a reoiprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands While retained, an oscillatory spring plunger for pressing the bands against the polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

11. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising meansfor feeding spacebands, a reciprocatory polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, a rocker carrying fingers for interrupting the feed of the bands also a plunger for pressing the bands against the polishing block, andv means of oscillating the rocker and releasing the bands and allowing them to drop.

12. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding spacebands, a reciprocatory polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, a rocker carrying fingers for interrupting the feed of the bands also a plunger for pressing the bands against the polishing block and a cam for oscillating the rocker.

13. A spaceband cleaning machine com prising an inclined track for feeding the spacebands by gravity, stops at the end of the track for retaining the bands, a rotatory finger for lifting the bands from the track and allowing them to drop, fingers for catching the dropped bands, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted torub against the bands retained by the fingers, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

14. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding bands, means for interrupting the feed of the bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory olishing block adapted to rub against the bands, means for feeding polishing material through the polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been subjected to a predetermined number of rubbings by the polishing block.

15. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising a track for feeding the spacebands by gravity, a rotatable finger for lifting the bands from the track, means for receiving the bands lifted by the finger, a reciprocatory polishing block adapted to rub against the bands, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

16. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising a frame, means for feeding spacebands on the back of the frame, means for interrupting the feed of the bands and temporarily retaining them, a reciprocatory polishing block on the front of the frame and adapted to rub against the bands while retained, means for reciprocating the polishing block, and means for releasing the bands after they have been polished.

17. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding the spacebands, a polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing block, an oscillatory rocker carrying forked fingers for holding the bands also a spring plunger for pressing the bands against the polishing block, and a cam for oscillating the rocker and allowing the bands to drop after they have been polished.

18. A spaceband cleaning machine comprising means for feeding the spacebands, a polishing block, means for reciprocating the polishing blocks, means for feeding p01- ishing material to the polishing block, and an oscillatory rocker carrying means for temporarily holding the bands and pressing them against the polishing block and then allowing the bands to drop after they have been polished.

WILLIAM A. LORENZ. PENROSE n. HOOPES. 

